Channeling Don Draper Himself, We Have Some Advice for Mad Men’s Janie Bryant

The woman responsible for dressing Sally Draper in a better wardrobe than we’ll ever have is hoping to make her debut in front of the camera. According to Deadline, Mad Men’s Janie Bryant is in development on a new competition series in which aspiring designers will create a garment in the style of a classic Hollywood film or iconic celebrity. Tentatively titled Janie Bryant's Hollywood, the show has begun pitching to networks and will likely find itself a home on a cabler with a ready-made fashion fan base. Since Bryant currently spends her days immersed in 60s Americana, far from the minefield that is fashion reality television, allow us to lend our expertise:

Speaking of Project Runway, the long-surviving series is not without its own set of missteps. Models of the Runway, its poorly executed spin-off, failed to resonate with show fans. And while it survived Project Runway’s network swapping and was even expanded into a full-length program, higher-ups finally bid it auf wiedersehen in 2010. Our advice: stick to one show, and do it well.

Rule #2: America Loves Instant Gratification

NBC’s Fashion Starmanaged to set itself apart by deploying a time-honored technique of our great nation: telemarketing. Working under such mentors as John Varvatos, Nicole Richie, and Jessica Simpson, designers compete in an array of challenges that test their creativity, resourcefulness, and technical skill. At the end of each episode, contestants present their finished wares to a panel of buyers from Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and, as of Season Two, Express. Thanks to the wonders of production lag time, winning creations are available for purchase immediately after the broadcast.

Rule #3: Keep Alexa Chung Far, Far Away

Be it known: we have an abiding soft spot for British beauty Alexa Chung. However, business is business, and Chung has been less than wholly successful in her stateside style career. MTV’s It’s On with Alexa Chungwas given the ax in 2009, Thrift America, which was reportedly set to debut on PBS, never made it to air, and 24 Hour Catwalk—Lifetime’s design-centric endurance test—flopped with critics and viewers alike.